Along the Sideboards
By Alex Webbe
April 13, 2009
Audi and White Birch remain perched on top of their respective brackets of play in the 2009 US Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington with perfect 2-0 records but there are mad scrambles in the ranks for the second place positions, positions that will move two more of the teams into semifinal action by April 22.
Pony Express evened its record at 1-1 with a win over Zacara (0-2) in Sunday’s action while Lechuza Caracas (1-1) scored its first win in US Open competition at the expense of Las Monjitas (1-1), last year’s finalist.
A 17-goal Audi team comprised of Melissa Ganzi, Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini and Kris Kampsen captured the 2009 North American Cup at the Port Mayaca Polo Club with a 12-10 win over Port Mayaca (Tommy Collingwood, J. J. Celis, Martin Ravina and Stevie Orthwein) Saturday, April 11.
George Rawlings created a 14-goal competition under the guise of Casablanca with four teams entered in ongoing competition that includes Joe DiMenna’s Equuleus entry that is currently boasting a 2-0 record.
Plans are being floated by the International Polo Club to field competition in everything from 4-8 goals on up to 26-goals for the 2010 season. IPC is also supposed to be taking over management of the Flying Cow League that will bring with it additional fields for play. If you think Jimmy Newman is busy now, wait until next year.
The 2009 8-goal National President’s Cup continues to attract attention with qualifiers being staged at both IPC and the Palm City Polo Club (the old Royal Palm Polo Club) in Boca Raton.
Six-goaler Jeff Blake, last year’s Open MVP and a member of this year’s undefeated (so far) White Birch entry was recently selected as Professional Athlete of the Year by the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame. An impressive honor when you consider that he beat out Florida Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad and tennis great Venus Williams.
Interest continues to grow in the women’s polo tournament on the sands of Miami Beach. In what began as an idea to create a two-team exhibition match the day before the start of the 2009 Miami Beach Polo World Cup, eight teams have emerged hoping to compete in a field that will see players from as far away as Argentina and Brazil participate in the three-a-side beach polo that has recently become so popular in ocean communities around the world.
Outback’s April 14-goal League was shelved due to lack of teams while their 8-goal Outback Invitational has attracted four entries that include Gonzalo Avendano’s Patagones team; Tim Gannon’s Outback team; Alessandro Bazzoni’s Cinque Terre foursome; and the Quraeshi’s familiar Escue lineup.
For players looking for proper turnout facilities Bob Daniels is offering “Aiken’s New Premiere Turnout Facility” that he bills as a “specially designed horse resort for polo’s real heroes”. It offers 24-hour on site supervision, year-round turnout, large rolling pastures, lots of shade on 264 acres, worming and trimming programs. I guess there has to be a backup plan if Pony Express doesn’t win the Open this year.